Ecuador and U.S. Arrest 30 in Cartel Raids

Ecuadorian police, supported by the Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. troops, arrested more than 30 people during joint anti-drug raids across three provinces on Thursday. The operation targeted a trafficking network that brokered and transported large quantities of drugs from Colombia for shipment to Europe, Central America, and the United States through the ports of Guayaquil and Machala.

Interior Minister John Reimberg stated that the network operated independently of local gangs and maintained a direct relationship with Mexico's Jalisco New Generation Cartel. Reimberg estimated that previous seizures earlier this year caused the organization a financial loss of approximately $322 million.

The raids followed a regional security tour by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and recent U.S. State Department designations of Ecuadorian gangs, including Los Tiguerones, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. The operation included the participation of 50 personnel from the U.S. Military's Southern Command.